What Sisters Are For
by TheWitch'sDorothy
Summary: A series of oneshots about Elphaba's and Nessarose's childhood.
1. Chapter 1

"Freak!" The young boy's voice rang out across the rural playground of the Munchkinland school. The object of his insult, an eight year old by the name of Nessarose Thropp, sank down in her wheelchair as far as she could without falling out. It wasn't her fault she didn't have arms, was it? Father had always said otherwise and Mother and Nanny more or less agreed with him. Father had also told her to pray to the Unnamed God for those who didn't know the right path. So that is what she did, her russet eyes closing and her lips moving in a silent prayer.

"What're you doing now? Is the minister's daughter praying for someone to help her?" Another child, this one a girl, taunted and pushed Nessarose's wheelchair lightly so that it rolled over the uneven dirt of the playground. "No one's gonna help you, especially not that stupid old Nanny of yours." Sadly, what she said was true. Nanny, who normally kept the hostile children at bay and pushed her wheelchair, had gone to get lunch, so there wasn't anyone to protect her.

"You're such a freak! I'm surprised your family even wants you," a third child chimed in, "You're useless." The circle of children rang with derisive laughter, shoving Nessarose around the dirt yard in her wheelchair. She began to cry softly, feeling the tears fall down around her face.

"The freak is crying! That's right, cry for your mommy-oh wait, she hates you, _'cause you're a crippled freak_!" This only made Nessarose cry harder, shaking her small head and squeezing her eyes shut tightly, until she heard the child who had just teased her give a cry of pain. The shoving of her wheelchair abruptly came to an end also. Confused and rather curious, she decided to open her eyes. It wasn't as if the Unnamed God had suddenly decided to strike them down, she reasoned (though she wished that were the case).

No, instead she saw her eleven-year-old sister, Elphaba, pushing the boy away from her and then punching him in the face. He let out a strangled cry and fell, blood pouring from his split lip. She stood there like an otherworldly protector, her fists clenched and her black hair blowing in the breeze around her face, her skin a brilliant emerald viridian in the sunlight. Nessarose couldn't help but feel a thrill of pride when looking at her sister.

Once the shock had worn off though, the group of children turned their efforts to Elphaba instead. They pushed and hit her, throwing her against the ground and against the trees on one edge of the playground, all the while shouting savage insults in gleeful voices.

"Monster!"

"No one loves you!"

"I heard your father and mother were gonna pay someone to kill you!"

"Go away!"

"Green freak!"

"Witch!"

Nessarose watched in helpless horror and sadness as all of this took place. She desperately wanted to help Elphaba, but obviously couldn't because of her condition. So she began to pray once more to the Unnamed God.

"Please, please take care of Elphie and don't let them hurt her. Don't let her believe what they say 'cause it's not true. _Please_," she whispered, watching her sister's pain through eyes that cried the tears that Elphaba could not.

When finally the children were done with their cruel play they dissipated, walking in the general direction of the schoolhouse. Elphaba picked herself up from the ground, her plain blue frock now ripped and covered with dirt and spots of blood. She herself was a mess, covered in cuts and scrapes, with a dark blue bruise already completely covering one of her cheeks and a deep cut on her forehead that dripped blood down her face. She limped over to where Nessarose was sitting and leaned down, wordlessly wiping away her sister's tears and wincing while she did so.

The two sisters said nothing, merely gazing into each other's eyes and what went unspoken said more than words ever could. The moment was broken when Nanny came bustling up behind them, her face red from running all this way.

"Come Nessarose or you'll be late," she said, beginning to push the younger girl's wheelchair in the direction of the schoolhouse. She noticed Elphaba and her jaw dropped. "Elphaba, what have you done to yourself?" The emerald-skinned girl meet Nanny's eyes in a way that contained a hint of defiance and shrugged. "Anyways, get yourself to the schoolhouse as well, for they're pitching a fit that you left class to go to the playground. Really Elphaba, I thought you of all people would have more foresight." Nanny tutted and wheeled Nessarose away.

Elphaba watched them go, her dark eyes giving nothing away. She had made up her mind; there was no way in Oz that she was going back to that hellmouth today. Boq would know what had happened and she could count on the Munchkin boy to explain. She turned and began to walk in the direction of home. Her father was off preaching to Munchkinlanders, so only her mother would be home. She bit her lip, hoping that Melena wouldn't be drunk when she got home. If she was…Elphaba shivered at the thought. She wished Turtle Heart hadn't left to gather glassblowing materials that morning because if he was home, he would indefinitely protect her from her mother's rage.

Elphaba turned away and began to walk home, her footsteps uneven and every part of her in pain. Maybe the children were right, she supposed. Maybe she was a monster and this was her punishment.


	2. Comfort

"El-Elphaba?" The green girl heard a small, scared voice from the other bed in the room. She turned over, her eyes searching for where she knew Nessarose's bed was. Ouside, the storm crashed and lightning split the sky. Nessarose yelped in fear and buried herself underneath her covers. Elphaba sighed softly and got out of her bed, the wooden floor rough and cold on her bare feet as she crossed over to where Nessarose was lying in a huddled lump under the covers.

"Nessa? Are you okay?" She asked her sister gently, touching the covers where she knew Nessarose's head would be.

"N-no," came the muffled reply. "I'm scared, Elphie." Elphaba gave another sigh. It was always like this when there was a storm. She wasn't even sure why storms scared Nessa; it wasn't as though she was burned by water, as she was. Maybe the noise had something to do with it, she supposed. It was like that for dogs, so why not for people too?

"Well, I'm here now, so you have no reason to be scared anymore," she said soothingly, pulling the covers back from over Nessarose's head. The younger girl peered up at her sister's face, suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning followed by a burst of thunder. Nessarose gave a small shriek and attempted to dive back under the covers, only to have her shoulder caught by Elphaba. "Don't do that!" She hissed, her fingers digging into the thin fabric of her sister's nightgown. Nessarose sniffed piteously, looking up at Elphaba with wide, innocent eyes.

"Why?" Elphaba caught her eyes, dark brown to russet-hazel.

"Because hiding from your fears doesn't solve anything; it doesn't even make them go away. Your fears will always be there unless you conquer them, Nessa. It's time you learned that." Elphaba's gaze softened as she saw the true depths of Nessarose's fear in her eyes, and she pulled her sister close. She felt the other girl's body shivering against her own, starting each time lightning flashed.

"Will you stay here, Elphie?" Nessarose asked quietly. "I'm less scared when you're here." Elphaba nodded, before realizing that her sister couldn't see her in the dark.

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around Nessarose and leaned against the pillows, feeling her sister snuggle in closer to her and rest her head on her chest. "I'll always be here Nessa." Elphaba began to doze as Nessarose calmed. Just before she fell asleep however, she heard Nessarose whisper.

"I prayed to the Unnamed God for a guardian angel. Then I realized that I already had one." The two girls fell asleep then, each of them wearing a small smile as the storm crashed outside.


End file.
